First Step Forward
by CourierSix
Summary: One shot from Bittersweet that I wrote long ago but never uploaded. Hope all of the fans of my original fanfiction enjoy and i plan to begin writing again soon. i know that it has been way too long since the story had a new chapter but life caught up with me and loss of a computer didn't help matters.


I could feel the sweltering heat of the sun pounding down upon me. Through my years of living in this hellish place I had learned to ignore the effects of the heat while still keeping it in mind. The Mojave Desert is my home; it is a seemingly endless expanse of sand, rock, broken asphalt and concrete. The asphalt beneath my feet is easily hot enough to burn you if touched for too long.

This living hell is not a lonely place, for I have companions, my dog, two women and a floating spherical robot. One of my female companions, Veronica, has only recently joined the group I have chosen to protect. The woman I chose to protect is a courier, she is on the road to what she believes is revenge. The courier, Ashlyn, was left to die in a shallow grave; she has survived with only hatred as a side-effect.

I first met Ashlyn in a town I was sent to. She stumbled into town as I was walking around the hotel. She had been to close to a mine when it exploded; she collapsed in the middle of the street. Ashlyn had been hit with shrapnel; succumbing to blood loss as she finally arrived to the town. In the next few days after the doctor patched her up. I let her sleep in my hotel room as I awaited for her to awake.

It has been only days since I met her, and we are traveling to New Vegas, the ruins of the pre-war Las Vegas. We have been tailed since morning, Ashlyn and I. I've seen the red clad figure hiding behind hills and rocks. He is unaware that I know he's following my companions and me. I as I walk towards the destination I hear Ashlyn and Veronica begin to talk about something. I hear some things about age so out of curiosity I begin to listen.

"I'm 27 believe it or not." I heard Veronica say to Ashlyn.

"No way! You're joking!" Ashlyn said definitely surprised by our new companion's statement.

I glance back to see Veronica smiling gleefully towards Ashlyn, slightly mocking her, as she said one word "Nope."

"I'm only twenty." I heard Ashlyn say as her voice trailed off.

"How old are you James?" She asked looking at me as I glanced back at her.

"Twenty-three." I said back calmly.

Both Ashlyn and Veronica said just what I thought they would the word liar.

As a grin developed on my face I said back to the both of them "I don't like lying."

I heard Ashlyn say something, not in response to my statement, but something that was just a general statement "That means that Veronica is the oldest."

I should have guessed that Veronica would have responded to this in a childish way but I strangely didn't, so I was caught off guard at her next few statements.

"That means I have the most power. I want you both in bed by 11 tonight." She said with a childish grin developing on her face.

I couldn't help but chuckle at this, and Ashlyn along with Veronica herself began to laugh.

After having to pull the two of them off the ground before I decided to make a witty comment about how I wouldn't help them up if they fell down from laughing again.

This was the moment I had been anticipating since the early morning. The red clad figure finally decided to strike. As he fired his gun I moved my helmet which I had hanging on a sling that was across my chest. By pure luck I actually managed to move the helmet into the path of the bullet. I felt the force of the round dent the back of the helmet and it pushed into my side. I gritted my teeth slightly as I fell to the ground.

As I hit a broken, and dirt covered spot in the road, I closed my eyes looking towards the figure. I used the sound of my surroundings to figure out the whole scene that was playing out in my mind. I heard immediate silence from Ashlyn and Veronica, Rufus was creating a low but quiet growl in his throat, and I could hear the light humming of the robot floating feet from the three of them. The next sound I heard was very distinct. The sole of the boots the figure was wearing didn't touch the asphalt with full force, yet he was running.

I finally heard his almost silent steps stop. He was three feet from me. Perfect. My hand was inches from my revolver; I knew I could reach it without him knowing. I had the strangest feeling he was not actually looking at me but looking directly into Ashlyn's deep hazel eyes. I slowly lowered the hammer on the revolver.

Click.

I knew now that I had a split second to fire. The revolver felt normal in my weathered hands. The wood grip was worn from use and fit perfectly into the contours of my hand. With one fluid movement I pulled it from the holster on my hip, leveling it to the figures chest, and turning to look at him. I fired. My hand was on auto-pilot. Before my ears could register the end of the gunshot I had slammed the hammer down again with my left hand and pulled the trigger. I repeated this until I only heard a click as I pulled the trigger. Then the body fell.

Thump.

I killed him. He couldn't hurt her now. As I lay on the broken asphalt she ran to me; she collapsed down onto her knees to look at me. She hugged me. I propped myself up as she began to speak.

"You're alive….thank God you're alive…." She said as she began to cry.

I used the hand that my revolver was in to wrap my arm around her. I hear the empty gun clink against the armor that was protecting her. I held her for a couple seconds until I moved my arm to rotate my helmet to show her what I had done. I smiled at her. I began to whisper to her.

"I knew he had been following us since Boulder City. I managed to move quick enough and block the round with my helmet."

She looked at me with her tear filled eyes. I felt guilty seeing this; it felt like it was a crime. She hugged me even tighter than before. I had never felt like this before. My heart was screaming in pain. Then when I thought it couldn't hurt any worse, she cried even harder. It was in that split second I thought I died. My heart hurt too much for me to have been able to survive right? She began to say something in this moment.

"Don't ever do that again!" She screamed at her voice hoarse from the crying "You're too important to me now!"

I froze; I could only look at her. My hand, it felt numb, but I saw it move and brush her hair from her face allowing me to once again see her tear filled eyes. I moved forward slowly, towards her lips. Then my lips touched hers. They were so soft, so perfect. This was my taste of heaven in hell. Time; it was moving so slowly now. I took in every detail my mind allowed me to; the slow movement of her nose as she let out the faintest breath, the cool air that she was expelling from her body, the slow and deliberate sound of her heartbeat, and her skin; it was almost as soft as her lips. All of this was bliss, perfection, hell words couldn't describe how it all felt to me. I slowly broke the kiss away; ending my trip to the heaven I had found. I stared into her eyes and she back into mine. She was blocking the sun that was beating down upon me before. It was like an angel had fallen down to earth for me, and only me. Her hair was still in a slow free fall downward, and the faintest breeze was making it sway to the left side of my vision. She was an angel in hell, but how could that be possible? If only I knew, but I didn't care; it was all to perfect to me. Her reddish brown hair and hazel eyes gave her a look of utmost innocence. I had just taken a piece of that innocence though, for I had kissed this angel.

I had to ask what she had meant when she said I meant to much to her. That was exactly what I did.

"Why do I mean so much to you?" I asked her in the faintest whisper I had ever spoken in.

"Because…I love you…it was like love at first sight…you had an aura about you. One that radiated things…power…love….respect…but most of all…the thing that I felt the most in my life….pain." She whispered back her speech slowing as she slowly moved her lips close to mine.

I could only stare back in response.

"I shouldn't have said that should I?" she asked as she backed her face away from mine.

I didn't answer her; not with words at least, but with an action. I moved towards her and she took the hint as she moved towards me. Our lips once again met in a kiss. My personal heaven was returned to me. I was again filled with bliss. I never wanted to have to go without this feeling in my life. It was now I knew that I couldn't keep my feelings from her any longer, because I too had fallen in love with her. I think that it was her sleeping face that made me grow attached so quickly. I felt like I had to be able to see it every day, every second, every waking moment of my life from then on. She is my love, my one precious person. I would do anything to keep her alive; even give my life to sustain hers.


End file.
